Feeding device for automatic weighing-machines.



Patented SeptflB', 1899. A. L. F. MITCHELL & W. A. RHODES. FEEDINGDEVICE FDR AUTOMATIC WEIGHING'MACHI NES.

(Application filed Feb. 14, 1898.)

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UMTED STATES PATENT Oriana.

ALBION L. F. MITCHELL, OF BOSTON, AND WVILLIAM A. RHODES, OF MEDFORD,

MASSACHUSETTS; SAID RHODES ASSIGNOR TO THE NEYV ENGLAND AU- TOMATIClVElGlIlNG-MACHINE COMPANY, OF PORTLAND, MAINE.

FEEDING DEVICE FOR AUTOMATIC WEIGHING-IVIAOHINES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent 633,555, dated September19, 1899.

Application filed February 14, 1898. Serial No. 670,186. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that we, ALBION L. F. MITCH- ELL, of Boston, in the countyof Suffolk, and WILLIAM A. RHODES, of West Medford, in the county ofMiddlesex, State of Massachusetts,

have invented certain new and useful Ilnprovements in Feeding Devicesfor Automatic lVeighing-Machines, of which the following is aspecification.

1c The object of this invention is to provide a feeding device forautomatic weighing-machines by means of which a steady uniform deliveryof the material to be weighed may be insured. Heretofore difficulty hasbeen experienced in feeding pulverulent and granular material at an evenand uniform rate to weighing-machines because of the varying pressureupon the lower portion of the column of material in the hopper fromwhich the mazo terial is delivered, the pressure Varying with the heightof the column, so that it has heretofore been impossible to secure auniform feed and the delivery of the material at a definite rateregardless of the height of the column or accumulation of material abovethe weighing-machine.

Our invention is embodied in a feeding de vice designed to be interposedbetween the column of material in the hopper and the go weighing-machineand to intercept the material and discharge it to the weighing mech;'anism in a continuous uniform stream, whereby but little material willbe wasted and the weighing may be done with great accuracy.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, and to the lettersmarked thereon, forming a part of this specification, the same lettersdesignating the same parts or features, as the case may be, whereverthey occur.

40 Figure 1 represents in partial section a feeding device embodying ourinvention. Fig. 2 represents a side elevation of the same. Fig. 3represents a transverse vertical section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates a casing, which may be of anysuitable form and has its side walls formed with converging portions a aforming a throat between the receiving and delivering ends of thecasing. This casing may form a portion of the spout or duct which leadsfrom the hopper to the weighing-machine, the lower end of the cas ingbeing flanged, as at a for attachment to the casing of the machine.

A shaft 5 is journaled in a bearing 19 at one end of the throat of thecasing and in a bearingsleeve 12', formed on. a detachable plate 19secured to the casing at the other end of said throat. The plate Z2 isflanged to cover an opening a in one end of the casing, through whichopening the rotary feeding device 0 may be introduced into the casing.Said feeding device is a hollow roll or cylinder having closed ends andsecured rigidly upon the shaft 1), the cylinder being formed tosubstantially fill the throat of the casing, so that material can passthrough the throat only by way of the cylinder.

The rotary feeding-cylinder c is provided with longitudinal slots 0,which preferably extend practically from end to end of the cylinder,their edges being in the nature of shear or cutting edges, so that theydetach material from the body or column resting upon the roll. 7 5

In order to regulate the flow of material through the cylinder, weemploy a regulator consisting of a deflector-plate d, pivoted orfulcrumed at (Z and adapted to be adjusted by an adjusting-screw (1passed through the side wall of the casing, said plate being adjustableto vary the area of the cylinder exposed to contact with the column ofmaterial.

On the end of the shaft Z) is secured abeltwheel 12 by means of whichthe shaft and 8 5 the cylinder are rotated, preferably at aspeed of onehundred and fifty to'two hundred revolutions per minute.

In operation the material is delivered from the hopper into the upperportion A of the casing and drops upon the rotary cylinder as the latterrapidly rotates. The edges of the slots scrape away the granular orpu'lverulent material, which drops through the slots and is thrown bycentrifugal action into the lower 5 portion B of the casing. Thus thematerial is fed in a constant uniform stream to the weighing-machine,whereby the latter may be operated to weigh the material with accuracy.

The rotary member 0, which is formed with the alternating slots andcurved surfaces, en-

tirely closes the throat through the casing and supports the body ofmaterial which is fed thereinto, although the said material is free topass in limited quantities through said slots into the interior of thecylinder and be discharged through those slots which are below the planeof the throat by centrifugal action. Thus by forming the said memberwith slots which extend entirely through its shell it is impossible forthe pulverulent ma terial to become packed therein, as it would were theslots merely grooves or pockets, and hence the said material isdelivered in a fine free state and not in lumps or compressed masses.Moreover, by reason of the material passing through the body of therotary member or cylinder it is delivered in a continuous stream, as hasbeen previously stated, by reason of its being thrown from the lowerhalf thereof not intermittently, as when a grooved or socketeddelivery-roll is used. The said rotary member being hollow and formedwith slots, as described, forms an intermediate chamber for thetemporary reception of the granular or pulverulent material in loose orunpacked condition and for the discharge of said material in the same orstill looser condition to the outlet of the chute or passage-way. Theupper portion of the 1101- low rotary cylinder forms an upper movablewall, through the slots of which the material must pass in loosenedcondition, while, since the cross-sectional area of the cylinder orintermediate chamber is greater than that of the chute or passage-wayimmediately above it, the material cannot become packed'in said chamber.Furthermore, the motion of the walls of the cylinder causes the materialto pass through the lower wall not only in the same loose or a loosercondition, but has a tendency to pass the material out of the cylinderor chamber faster than it enters it, for the reason that the outwardpassage is aided by centrifugal action.

We do not claim herein a feeding device of the character specifiedcomprising aconstruction involving a movable member having anything inthe nature of pockets within which the material is deposited and held ina solid mass while being transferred to a position for dischargetherefrom. As hereinbefore stated, our device comprehends, in thisconnection, only a member into which the pulverulent material enters ina loose state and from which said material is discharged in a fine freestate and not in lumps or compressed masses. lVe also do not claim adevice having a valve member provided with a direct passage through itwhich alternately cuts oit and opens the passage-way through the chute.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described a way ofconstructing and using the same, although without at tempting todescribe all of the forms in which it may be made or all of the modes ofits use, we declare that what we claim is- 1. A feeding device forpulverulent or granular material comprising a chute or passagewayprovided with an intermediate chamber between its upper and lowerportions, said chamber having movable slotted walls and adapted toreceive said material through its upperwall in loosened .condition, thelower portion of the chute or passage-way being below the intermediatechamber and adapted to receive the material therefrom through the lowerwall of the said chamber.

2. A feeding device of the character de scribed, comprising a casing anda hollow rotary member having passages through its walls and located insaid casing, said member supporting the column of materialandconstructed and arranged to discharge it by centrifugal action.

3. A feeding device of the character described, comprising a casinghaving an inlet and an outlet orifice, and a rotary member placed insaid casing between said orifices to support the column of material,said rotary member being provided with a series of slots to permit saidmaterial to pass through its body, the loweror outlet orifices beingbelow the rotary member.

4:. A feeding device of the character described, comprising a casinghaving an inlet and an outlet orifice, and a rotary tubular cylindermounted in the said casing and provided with a series of slots in itsperiphery whereby the material passes into the interior of the memberand is delivered therefrom by centrifugal action, the lower or outletorifices being below the rotary member.

5. A feeding device of the character described, comprising a casinghaving a throat, a rotary tubular cylinder practically filling saidthroat so as to support the column of material, said cylinder beingprovided with a series of slots, the outlet from said casing being belowthe tubular slotted cylinder, and means for varying the exposed area ofthe cylinder.

6. A feeding device comprising a casing having a throat, a hearing atone end of said throat, an orifice in the throat at the end oppositesaid bearing, a rotary slotted or perforated hollow cylinder formed topractically fill the throat, and support the column of material, saidslots permitting the passage of material into the interior of thecylinder from which it is discharged by centrifugal action, and adetachable plate formed to cover said orifice and provided with abearing for one end of said cylinder, the cylinder being insertible andremovable through said orifices when the plate is removed.

7. A feeding device of the character described, comprising a casingadapted to re- 'ceive a column of material, a hollow rotary In testimonywhereof we aifix our signatures member in said casing for supportingsaid in presence of two witnesses.

column of material, said member having al- ALBION L. F. MITCHELL.ternating slots and curved surfaces, whereby WILLIAM A. RHODES.

5 the material is permitted to pass into said \Vitnesses:

member by gravity and is discharged by cen- E. BATGHELDER,

trifugal action. A. D. HARRISON.

